Winning the Heisman Trophy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Few get the chance to accept the most prestigious award in American sports in front of an audience of millions. Given that stage, most of the student athletes like to make a statement, or at least look their best.
The Heisman winner’s suit is always a topic of conversation, especially in the age of social media. Some opt for a simple, elegant look, while others go for flash or use the suit to send a message or showcase something special to them.
Jayden Daniels combined the two ideas with his Heisman suit.
He sported a gray, three-piece custom suit lined with the picture of him hitting the Heisman pose against Florida.
“He likes a little bit of flair, but he is definitely more elegant, classy,” Daniels’ designer Nathan Pearce said.
Pearce is the founder and CEO of Pearce Bespoke franchising and the owner of Pearce Bespoke Baton Rouge, a custom clothing franchise. Pearce works with athletes and coaches throughout LSU athletics along with politicians, professional athletes and other high-profile clients.
“What’s so cool about it is a Baton Rouge company is the company that was selected to do his fittings, and it just shows how much he’s loved his clothes throughout the season,” Pearce said. “We’re honored for him to pick us and for him to be rocking the clothes.”
Pearce has worked with Daniels throughout the season and came up with the unique lining inside his jacket. He created the liner by printing a photo of Daniels flashing the Heisman pose and turned it into a custom Bemberg lining on the inside of the jacket.
While Pearce added his influence on the inside of the jacket, Daniels came up with the idea for how he wanted the suit to look.
“I had the color scheme in my head, and then I just started going from there,” Daniels said. “Honestly, I always had a different suit for each Tiger Walk, and this kind of color I didn’t wear, and I wanted to wear it.”
Pearce said adding a unique touch to the suit was important for Daniels in this occasion. Apart from the liner, Pearce said other features such as the monogram, hand-picked stitching and handmade buttonholes make the suit unique.
“We took a very old school style, and we made it in a very modern fit,” he said.
Daniels’ suit compliments his quiet, yet confident persona and play style. The suit isn’t loud or boisterous, but it’s unique and illustrates what many call his Heisman moment.
He joked that he had to switch up the style, opting against the turtleneck he sported before many games this season and what he wore for the Johnny Unitas Award.
Turtleneck or not, it’s a suit that will remain synonymous with his immortality in college football.
It’s the suit that will be seen among the other Heisman winners when his portrait forever lines the walls of the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
